Judge Janice Margaret Gauthier Menard, 80, of Bridge City, Texas, passed away on January 27, 2020, surrounded by her family in Port Arthur, Texas.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, January 31, 2020, at St. Henry Catholic Church in Bridge City. Officiating will be Father Steve Leger. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Orange.

Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with a Rosary recited at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.

Born in Garden City, Louisiana, on January 22, 1940, she was the daughter of O’Niell Gauthier and Francis Schexnider Gauthier. She ran “Nana’s Daycare” out of her home for 9 years where she touched the lives of many children. Janice went on to work in the Judicial field for 32 years. She spent the first 20 years as a secretary before later retiring as Justice of the Peace for Precinct 3 in Orange County, Texas. Janice graduated from St. Mary Catholic High School in Orange and was a devoted member of St. Henry Catholic Church in Bridge City. She was a member of the Altar Society and served on the Adoration team, as well as being a Lector and Eucharistic Minister. Janice was very involved in her community being a member of the Rotary Club, a past member of the Chamber, and was even voted Citizen of the Year in 2009. She enjoyed spending her free time reading, playing at the casino, and spending time with her family that she loved dearly. Her motto for her children was always “I love you bigger than the world!”. She was a wonderful friend to many and this world will be a little less bright without her shining smile.

She was preceded in death by her parents, O’Niell and Francis Gauthier; her loving husband, Bobby James Menard; daughter, Julie Tarver; granddaughter, Catherine Elise Menard; siblings, Mildred Lemoine, O’Niell Gauthier, Charles Gauthier, and John Gauthier; and her parents-in-law, Renard Menard and Ella Mae LeBlanc Rumery.

Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Dean Menard and wife Tammy, of Bridge City, Donna Stevenson and husband Ed, of Silsbee, Neal Menard, of Houston, Glen Menard and wife Jan, of Bridge City, and Alane “Lanie” McClain and husband Mark, of Orange; grandchildren, Christopher Harvey, Darylann LeMoine and husband Kyle, Matthew Menard and wife Jordyn, and Nicholas Menard; great-grandchildren, Kole and Julie LeMoine; 7 step-grandchildren; and 20 step-great-grandchildren that she loved dearly; and her sister-in-law, Margo Gauthier, of Vinton, LA; along with numerous other loving family and friends.

Serving as pallbearers will be Dean Menard, Neal Menard, Glen Menard, Christopher Harvey, Matthew Menard, Nicholas Menard, Edward Stevenson, and Mark McClain.